3 Takeaways From the 2022 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix
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It seems that the second half of the 2022 Formula 1 season is already getting incredibly exciting right out of the gate. With tons of strategies decisions making and breaking individuals races, it seems that the emphasis on car development has slowed and the emphasis on making on track decisions is the new battlefield. So lete’s take a look at my 3 biggest takeaways from the 2022 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
Flares
Last year when Max Verstappen stormed his way through the track to earn his well deserved victory at home there was quite literally orange clouds developing over the race track. While the majority of the damage wasn’t really present until the end of the race when it was “safe”. There were still several instances where there was a ton of smoke built up around the race track and I know from driving through the foggy mornings here in Wisconsin, it can get incredibly tough to see through these obstructions. This year there were only really a few instances where these flares came into play, most specifically during qualifying the day prior to the race but I thought it was still important to mention how important this improvement has been from a safety perspective, even if that’s somewhat of a boring topic to start with.
Mercedes Blunders
I have to admit, I hesitate to say that this was a Mercedes blunder because they beat out both the Ferrari’s in terms of points and still beat an additional Redbull on track. That being said, they not only missed out on a victory but they also only placed one of their two drivers on the podium when there was originally potential for a solid 1–2 finish for Mercedes. Now of course part of this comes down to strategic decisions made within the team but it also points to the pure pace that Redbull’s Max Verstappen truly has, especially at his home circuit. On we go, Mercedes win will come someday soon.
Max & Sergio
There’s no denying that Max simply has more ability in terms of raw race pace, but I can’t help but find it strange that Sergio is very far off from Max’s domination in the 2022 season. While Sergio succeeded early on this season, even netting him a pole position start, it seems that as the Redbull has developed over time Sergio has lost…
